The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again.
John 10:17 NIV Bible
We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.
Walter Anderson (via quote-book)
Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3 (via mexiified)
And if you look a little closer, you’ll see that if a person believes that life is terrible, they’ll constantly look for proof of this, to confirm their view of the world. They’ll find quotes and situations and events in their life and magnify them a hundred times. If a person believes that life is wonderful, they’ll look for the corresponding signage and behave in a similar manner to the previous person with their view of the world. Often, this is the same person on different days of the week.
If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel — as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them — wherever you go.
Anthony Bourdain (via salsabrain)
The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem.
bell hooks (via loveyourchaos)
(Source: timmediate)
For some reason, you will no longer be the person you believed you once were. You’ll detect slow and subtle shifts going on all around you, more importantly shifts in you. Worse, you’ll realize it’s always been shifting, like a shimmer of sorts, a vast shimmer, only dark like a room. But you won’t understand why or how.
Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves (via larmoyante)
“Some people don’t understand the promises they’re making when they make them,” I said.
“Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That’s what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway.”
The Fault In Our Stars (via lilmisskiddo)
Yes, we are all supposed to be moral. Yes, we are all supposed to live ethically. But following Christ leaves room to live our lives staying true to how we are wired—with our different convictions, gifts, passions, backgrounds and personalities.
Some are simply more fashionable than others. Some are more conservative, while others are more liberal and edgy. Some are quiet, some more bombastic. Some are tattoo-friendly, others tattoo-phobic. Some might brew their own beer, and some might turn down an offer to drink. It was the apostle Paul who said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Maybe as we all express ourselves in ways that are congruent with our convictions, talents, passions, personalities, etc., we are best positioned to “save some”—because those “some” can relate to us.
Truth is, it is easier to make Christianity about externals and man-made rules. Sameness makes it easier for us to tell who the “insiders” are. But Christ never wanted His followers to forfeit their distinctiveness and to be absorbed into some great cosmic oneness or sameness like a retread Eastern mysticism. Don’t settle for a synthetic Christianity that feels restrictive and holds little joy for you; instead pursue a vibrant, life-empowering journey of faith. Yes, black and white is easier. But we are called to the challenge and wonder of color.
Ed Gungor, The Problem with Black and White Thinking
(via denisecua)
